The center for Latino–Jewish Relations and Crypto-Jewish Studies serves as a foundation for Crypto-Jewish life in Texas. In addition to academic conferences, we are a living memorial for people from the Sephardic world who do not want their family histories to be forgotten.

Mission

The mission of the Center for Latino-Jewish Relations and Crypto-Jewish Studies is to educate the Hispanic and Jewish communities about their shared history and lineage in order to facilitate a better understanding of the past, build bridges in the present, and provide a better future for all who are part of this legacy.

Vision Statement

The Center for Crypto-Jewish Studies and Hispanic-Jewish relations seeks to unite both the glories and agonies of the past with the hopes of a brighter tomorrow through a dynamic present.

The center seeks to unite two peoples who share a common heritage and histories and whose roots run deep into the soil of the Iberian Peninsula. As such the center seeks to explore the historic, linguistic and cultural roots that bind thousands of Mexican and Jewish Americans together. It seeks to use their joint historic journey as a paradigm for Texans from many cultures. The center seeks to accomplish these goals through a wide variety of lectures and programs. Among these programs are:

The collection and display of Inquisitional documents from colonial Mexico

A historical understanding of the common roots that bind many Mexicans to their Jewish heritage

Conferences on Crypto-Jewish and Sephardic culture

Trips to both Spain and Portugal as a means of reuniting the Hispanic and Jewish populations with their Iberian roots

A dialogue series where Jews and Hispanic citizens can discuss common problems and seek common solutions

The promotion of Iberian Jewish and Hispanic cultural heritage within Texas and the United States

The development of bilingual texts about both Texas-Mexican and Jewish-Mexican culture and history

Receiving of official visitations from other centers of Iberian Jewish and Mexican culture.

The Center is non-political it will serve as a platform for dialogue in which peoples from these two communities can seek commonalities of purpose and the promotion of common goals